East Orange mayor proposes budget with zero tax increase for 2021

EAST ORANGE, NJ — Mayor Ted R. Green delivered his proposed budget of $152.7 million for fiscal year 2021 to the East Orange City Council on April 26; the budget includes a zero-percent tax increase. This will be the first time there has not been a municipal tax increase in well over a decade. 

Green said that achieving his goal to stabilize taxes is the result of strategic planning and fiscal responsibility during the past three years of his administration. Since 2018, tax increases have steadily gone down. In 2018, there was a 1.5-percent increase; in 2019, 1.2-percent increase; and in 2020, taxes only went up 0.44 percent. 

“We understand that this is a difficult time and we wanted to make sure that we do not add to the financial burden our residents already have on their shoulders. This proposed budget reflects what happens when we make sound financial decisions and work toward a common goal of ensuring all residents receive top quality city services,” Green said. “I am looking forward to leading us through 2021 together and coming out stronger than before.” 

Building upon his administration’s agenda for progress, Green will continue to focus on increasing property values, keeping the city clean, enhancing public safety, fixing streets, investing in city youth, providing high quality affordable housing and redevelopment, and committing to health education and awareness, according to a press release. 

Highlights of the fiscal year 2021 budget are as follows: 

• Construction and investment in East Orange is at an all-time high of $1.4 billion in redevelopment, with approximately 4,000 residential units and nearly 20 percent set aside as affordable housing. 
• The city’s flagship project is the $400 million Crossings at Brick Church, which will feature quality retail spaces, including Burlington department store, a larger renovated ShopRite, 820 units of housing, a seven-story parking garage and new sit-down restaurants. 
• A $1 million streetscape project will renovate and revitalize the lower part of Main Street in the city’s Arts and Cultural District. 
• A new firefighter class of 15 is planned this summer, and 14 new police recruits were added to the police force with a new class planned in the spring. 
• In 2020, overall crime decreased an additional 6 percent, maintaining the city’s lowest crime rate since 1967.

  East Orange Budget, East Orange City Council, Mayor Ted Green